Operation: Shin Seiki Evangelion
by fijkus
Summary: With the Black Moon being located in southern Nevada, a new scenario is forced to unfold. Chapter 4: SEELE's conference with the President.
1. Chapter 1

Copyright Notice: Stargate SG-1 and Evangelion are both the intellectual properties of their creators. This is a work of fanfiction and is created for entertainment use only. This fanfiction can be download and shared, but if it retransmitted then it must be unaltered and with a link above the author's note directing the viewer to original web address.

Author's Note: This is an edited version of the first chapter which was uploaded to . Changes have been made to correct some errors in formatting and a few things which were missed the first time around, hopefully to make it more readable. Thanks goes to the people who edited my work, one of whom is known here as Shadic the Hedgehog, the other who wishes to remain anonymous.

Operation: Shin Seiki Evangelion

Chapter One

The lab was huge. Not simply big, but very, very big. There were spaces several stories tall, hollowed out areas which tested the limits of construction and material engineering. And all of it was made to house one of the most terrible weapons known to man.

This weapon was known as the Evangelion 00, a cyber-organic life form custom made as both a proof of concept and a testbed for the bleeding edge of human technology. Currently, said weapon was being tested. Inside of the cockpit of it was a blue haired, red eyed fourteen year old girl dressed in a form fitting flight suit. A nearly imperceptible frown was present on her face, as she pressed a small button on the side of the butterfly control handles which would open up a channel to the control room.

"Yes, Rei?" A thirty-something Japanese woman with bottle blonde hair asked.

"The test was scheduled to begin at eighteen hundred. It is now eighteen hundred and one," the blue hair pilot said.

"Unfortunately, we are waiting for Dr. Ikari," the woman replied.

Rei's frown went from barely noticeable to slight. "Dr. Akagi, please inform my father that he needs to get off the phone with my brother."

Said Dr. Ikagi seemed to sigh. "Alright, Rei. Just hang tight."

"I do not see how I can hang when I am sitting."

Ritsuko just stared at the screen. "You didn't just… never mind. I'll be right back."

* * *

Gendo Ikari is man who was both respected and feared. A native Japanese man, he nevertheless secured a position as DARPA's chief researcher for the Evangelion projects. He was not close to the military genius that the commanders of the NORTHCOM put in charge of the project, through he didn't have to be. The bearded genius in a tailored black jacket and red turtle neck had become the stuff of legends among those who were in the know about Project E.

He was also, inevitably, the butt of most the jokes told by said people.

"To-ku-ga-ra Shinji. To-ku-ga-ra. Of course I know what I am saying. … WHAT?!"

Dr. Ikagi poked her head out of the door, noting that Gendo speaking into his cell phone. "Dr. Ikari."

"Of course I passed Japanese History when I was your age! … Don't you bring Kozo into this! Or your mother!"

"Dr. Ikari!" Ritsuko yelled, trying to get the man's attention.

Gendo sighed the yelling, putting his hand over the speaker of the cell phone. "Just one more moment, Dr. Akagi." He said, before uncovering the speaker and talking to Shinji once more. "Shinji… you would make your mother proud. Do the best in your studies as you can. And Shinji… I love you. … Don't take the tone with me!"

The phone went dead at that point. Ritsuko honestly was not surprised.

"You're smothering your son," Ritsuko said, as Gendo stood up straigt and began walking to the control room.

"I only call him once a week," the man replied in monotone. "He doesn't have a mother, and is being raised by my brother-in-law and is checked up on by Dr. Fuyutsuki. I am his only living parent, and I have to be overseas in order to stay employed."

"I can see how that's a problem," Ritsuko admitted, before shaking her head. "Although that last part is a lie. You could have been hired by the JSSDF without any problems."

Gendo was composed enough not to snort. "And work for a fossilizing organization that will be irrelevant in little under five years?"

"I see your point," Ritsuko replied.

"Is everything in place?" Gendo asked, looking at the techs.

"Everything's ready," the tech replied. "Although your daughter wants to speak with you."

Gendo nodded. "Put her through."

"You are late," Rei said in monotone.

"I am merely ensuring that the previous obligations were fulfilled," Gendo replied, in the same monotone.

"Such obligations could have been delayed until the end of the test," Rei retorted.

"So could this test," Gendo continued.

One of the technicians leaned over to the other. "I swear, it's like listening to two Vulcans argue with each other."

"Settle down," Ritsuko said, before looking at Gendo, interrupting the argument. "We can start the test now, sir."

"Very well," Gendo replied, before looking at screen. "Is this agreeable, Rei?"

"Most agreeable," Rei replied.

Gendo looked down at the technician manning the power station, a young Japanese woman who, if he remembered correctly, was named Maya. "Begin the test."

"Yes sir," Maya replied in stilted English, before turning the red key set in the control panel. "Beginning start up sequence now. Synchro-start. And… it's now at 20%. Mental contamination within acceptable parameters and… wait a minute…"

"Sir," one of the technicians spoke up. "We are reading an anomalous energy reading."

"Is it within acceptable limits?" Gendo asked.

"It is right… whoa!" at that point the technician typed a few things in his station's keyboard. "Confirmed, spike in Evangelion power consumption!"

It was almost imperceptible at first. The slight strain, between the Evangelion and the restraints which kept it pinned to the wall. It was only when a dull, muffled roar was heard that every realized how screwed they were.

"My God… it's gone berserk!" Ritsuko yelled. At that very moment the Evangelion broke from it's restraints, and began to pound on the window of the observation deck. "Everyone, get back!"

"Cut all power! Turn it off!" Gendo yelled.

"I can't!" the technician on the power station replied.

"Evangelion is not responding to any digital input!" Maya yelled.

"SHITE! Plug depth unstable!" a Scottish accented voice yelled. "Pilot is being pulled towards the Evangelion!"

"Manually cut the power supply!" Gendo yelled. The window was beginning to crack from the giant's assault, and Maya was frozen in fear as a result. Technicians where scrambling away from the window, all of them trying to get out of the room as quickly as possible. Realizing that help wouldn't come in time, Gendo broke the fail-safe buttons glass and pushed said button down as quickly as he could.

The plug which powered Unit 00 was separated from the Evangelion through the careful application of shaped explosives, effectively cutting the unit off from it's source of power. The unit managed to finally break the glass, special bakelite encasing the unit to prevent it from moving. The neck of the Evangelion then opened up as the plug ejected, for no truly discernible reason, hitting the roof of the test chamber before racing along it, hitting the corner of the test chamber at high speed and with a high rate of rotation.

"NO!" Gendo yelled. The engines on the plug turned escape pod failed, letting it fall several stories to the ground. The head doctor of Project E became unconcerned about the deactivating weapon, and instead had the perfectly reasonable concerns of any father whose daughter was involved in a life threatening accident. Mainly, mortal fear which lead him to run down the stairs faster then he ever had before.

"I need a medical team down here now!" Ritsuko yelled into a phone as the Gendo flew past. "Two, and a security detail! Dr. Ikari's probably going to do something stupid now!"

Ritsuko set the phone down. The Evangelion was quiet now, the room hissing as gases where being released from the Bakelite. "Ms. Ibuki?" Ritsuko asked, noticing how the young woman was frozen in terror.

Ritsuko lightly touched Maya's shoulder. The woman visibly flinched, pulling away for a moment before looking at her.

"That… that was…"

"That was Evangelion," Ritsuko replied. "Our last hope."

Maya then gripped the older scientist's lab coat, beginning to cry as she rested her head against her. Ritsuko patted her on shoulder, and waited until help came. One of Ritsuko's specialties was psychology, and she knew that Maya would have post traumatic stress if not handled properly.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Gendo was now at the test chamber, a ruined wreck of broken metal and ceramic. The Eva stood over him, dead to the world and restrained by Bakelite. A red mist was over the ground, giving the room a deathly atmosphere, as heat radiated from the Eva plug.

Finding his objective, Gendo rushed to the plug. The pulled on the entrance's handles, letting and go and recoiling from the pain that the heat caused. His glasses fell, and the plastic lenses began to warp from the heat.

Realizing that he didn't have much time, Gendo pulled on the handles again, ignoring the pain and twisting the mechanism loose. The door opened, and the warm LCL did the rest of the work, opening the door. A large red puddle formed around the plug, as Gendo worked his way into the pod.

"REI!" the father yelled, finding the pilot coughing up LCL.

"I'm… fine… father…" she sputtered.

Gendo heard the splashes as the paramedics approached the plug. One of them pulled Gendo away as the others moved into the pod and began to move Rei as carefully as they could.

"Sir," one of the paramedics said, with an ABU clad airman standing behind him. "We need you to come with us."

"I am well." Gendo said, acting as if his word would finish the conversation.

"No, sir, you are not," the paramedic replied. "You have third degree burns on your hands, and I'm pretty sure the only reason why you have not gone into shock is because of adrenaline."

Gendo then looked down at his hands. Sure enough, there were plenty of horrific burns. "I see," the man replied, beginning to make his way to the door. "I shall see Doctor Frasier, then."

Gendo then began to walk towards the exit of the test chamber, all of the paramedics who where not working on Rei and the security staff just watching him. They were amaze at his composure, especially at what would be the considerable pain of the skin layer being compromised and the ensuing swelling.

And then he fell on his face.

If Rei was not strapped down to a stretcher, she would have face palmed.

It was going to be a very, very long day.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I'm surprised by the positive response I have received so far. My thanks goes to the reviewers of this story.

Operation: Shin Seiki Evangelion

Chapter 2

Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado

General Jack O'Neil was many things. He was a fighter pilot and a United States Air Force Special Forces operator for most of his career, although eventually he became older and his body was not quite able to withstand the rigors of such service. He was a devoted husband and a father, although both his parenthood and his marriage came to an end when he was forced to bury his son. He was also, and this was the most important thing, _**retired**_.

General O'Neil had a rather nice retirement, too. He had a cottage in Colorado which, while near a town was also relatively isolated in the woods. He could hike, hunt, run, practice his amateur astronomy or simply sit back and drink beer while fishing in a pond with no fish. And the most he would have to worry about nostalgia, regret and when he was finally going to have a heart attack. It may not have the way he imagined ending his life when he received his commission, but it wasn't a bad end, all considered.

And then Katsuragi had to go and blow up Antarctica.

Those events lead him to being recalled at the pleasure of what remained of the US government. Which then lead to him leading pilots during the brush fire conflicts which typified the Unification War. Inevitably that lead to promotion, and somehow or another that meant that he was now in direct command of one of the greatest weapons known to man.

And its bratty teenage pilot.

"Why, exactly, are you wearing that God awful flight suite indoors?" O'Neil asked said pilot, noticing that she wearing the green, form fitting polymer suite which would provide medical support as well as sending commands to the Evangelion and receiving biofeedback.

Another notable indication of who she is was the name-tag which was situated above where the left pocket would normal be. It gave her information in silver capital letters below her maple leaf insignia:

Asuka Shikinami

2LT USAR

"Because I can be called up at any time." Asuka said, reaching up and taking off her sunglasses. She was a fourteen year old redhead with blue eyes, and while she had a certain level of military bearing, it was also apparent that she had the arrogance and the impatience of both the type A personalities which found themselves attracted to piloting and teenage youth.

"It would take an hour to mobilize, and several more to get to where you need to be going. So what are you really wearing it for?" O'Neil asked.

Asuka sighed. "I am wearing it because I am supposed to give as good an impression as possible, and my uniform doesn't have enough bling for people to take the youngest commissioned officer in modern Army history seriously."

O'Neil raised an eyebrow. "Bling? Really?" he asked, unbelievably.

Asuka straightened up. "Metals sir." She said, looking straight out at the elevator door. "You won't tell any of the other junior officers I said that, will you sir?" she asked, looking up at him with a little bit of embarrassment.

"Nah," O'Neil said, a smirk apparent. "Because then, I couldn't blackmail you with the information."

"You're discretion is legendary," Asuka deadpanned. "Truly it is, sir."

"You're just easily embarrassed." O'Neil replied. "But there's enough for me to work with. We'll make a decent officer out you yet."

"Thank you sir," Asuka replied, with a little bit of pride in her voice. It didn't take much to please the girl, O'Neil noted to himself.

'Well, if I'm going to be stuck with her, I might as well make the best of it,' O'Neil thought. The typical duties of a leader of any kind was to mentor the subordinates that they had to command, and to help train the next generation of leaders. Since his child died, O'Neil had been neglecting that duty. Now, he reflected, might be a good time to start focusing on it again.

The elevator reached the floor, and O'Neil lead the way, with Asuka keep a step behind him to the left. "Sir, what's the plan?" she asked.

"There is no plan, Lt. Shikinami," O'Neil replied. "Beyond making sure that the civilians who put me on baby sitting duty think that we're doing a good job together."

Asuka nodded her head a little bit. "So basically, BS the politicians."

"Pretty much."

"And why Cheyenne Mountain?" Asuka asked. "We could just as easily hold this sort of meeting at the UN in New York."

"The Texans feel nervous about sending their officials to New York." O'Neil stated. "Last time they did, some idiots from Washington had them arrested and shot at the airport."

"So, we're recognizing them? I don't get much news…"

The note in Asuka's voice said a lot. Nobody got much news these days, especially with most of the nation still under martial law. The wounds from the Unification War were still too fresh to risk being reopened, and the government which ideally was supposed to follow the United States Constitution could claim to do so while still disenfranchising a large number of citizens.

"We're still working out some of their claims," said O'Neil, trying to cover up the potential talk of politics. "They aren't going away, not with the rate that everyone keeps on screwing up. They have a big military for their size, and the UN likes the fact that they go and do the crap work in South America. We'll get to meet some of them, soon enough."

"I'm looking forward to it," Asuka said, beginning to recognize the soldiers in the unusual fatigues. The Texans were quick to adopt a uniform which could be used both in the desert and in the forest, and while they did not necessarily work well for the rest of the world, it did work for the territories that they expected to cover.

As the door opened, the alarms began to blare. Both of the United States officers could see the screen depicting North America, updated to reflect current boundaries and disputed territories, show the positions of all known air units within the skies.

One of the Texan Air Force officers, a bald headed man wearing a uniform almost identical to the United States Air Force's class B short sleeve blues save for a few of the markings, walked up to the duo.

"General O'Neil," the officer sternly said.

"It's not my fault this time, General Hammond," Jack replied.

"Pattern Blue Detected!" one of the airmen yelled. "Pattern Blue Confirmed. Current designation as the First Visitor, Codenamed Ra! West Coast Command requesting that all Evangelion units scramble. DEFCON 4, repeat DEFCON 4!"

"Well, you heard the man," Hammond said, looking at the young woman as they began to announce DEFCON 4 and the things that went with it. "Get to your duty post."

Asuka looked up to O'Neil. "Sir?"

"Do I need to repeat what the nice Texan said?" he asked, a little bit of biting in his voice.

"No sir!" Asuka replied, raising her voice a little. "Good afternoon, gentlemen." She then quickly turned around and began to run through the base, hoping to get to the elevators and get out.

"She's a good kid," O'Neil said aloud.

"She's too young," Hammond added. "We're sending children to die in battle."

"That we are," O'Neil replied. "Is there anything we can do about it?"

"Not a damn thing," Hammond said, a note of bitterness in his voice. He then turned to the room at large. "I want an ETA till the Eva unit 02 can be launched, and the trajectory of the Visitor. And somebody wake up General Robinson! He needs to take command of the facility NOW!"

* * *

Outside of New San Jose, California

Lt. Newman piloted his Apache to approach the strange alien which had appeared in California. It was striding over the defenses as though they were nothing, ignoring industrial targets and population centers within easy reach.

His thoughts turned to their talk before the mission, and the frequent comparison to Godzilla. The Messenger, as the alien was called, as vaguely humanlike and stood several stories tall. It had bony like structures on it's body and it's arms, a red orb visibly sticking out of its torso. Its face, if it could be called that, was a bird like mask made of bone. Said mask had two eyeholes, both of which gave the general impression of staring straight ahead.

"Engage the target," commanded a voice over the radio, breaking Lt. Newman from his observations.

The reservist pilot let loose a hail of Hellfire missiles, along with the other helicopters from the nearby bases that could be scrambled quickly. The Visitor stopped, the strange green giant's bird mask tilting as though it was trying to comprehend what the strange metal creatures where doing. Some of the helicopters were letting loose a rain of bullets, all of them splashing at the creature.

Smoke quickly covered the battlefield around the creature, causing the pilots and gunners to stop firing for fear of friendly fire. All of them waited to see how much damage they had caused the creature, hoping and sometimes praying that they had stopped it and could go home.

A bright light shot out from the cloud, piercing through an Apache and causing it to plummet to the ground in a ball of fire.

"All pilots disengage the target, I say again disengage the target!"

Lt. Newman attempted to do just that, flying the helicopter away from the Visitor. While doing so, he noted that the arm was outstretch, pointing towards his vehicle, with light gathering at the palm.

It was the last thing Lt. Newman would ever see in this world.

* * *

Abraham Lincoln Forward Air Base, Idaho-West Canada disputed territory.

Lt. Asuka Shikinami was glad that the only thing that she had to do was put on the A-10 connect barrettes. It was OD green, like the rest of the uniform, allowing for mental commands to be sent and received quickly.

It had taken hours for the pilot to get to the intermediate airport being used to get her to her unit. She had taken small naps, quick naps, knowing that soon she would be flying inside of the plug of the Evangelion as it was sent to it's final destination.

"Ma'am," one of the enlisted airmen said, addressing her.

"What is it, Sergeant?" Asuka asked.

"It's a phone call for you, ma'am," the airman replied, giving her a rather boxy satellite phone.

Asuka took the phone, putting it up to her ear and speaking into it. "Hello?"

"Lt. Shikinami," a monotone female voice said at the other end.

"What is it, Wondergirl?" Asuka asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "I don't exactly have time to engage in another thrilling conversation. … And aren't you suppose to be in bed, anyways?"

"I am in bed. It does not take great manual skill to operate a telephone."

"Are you being sarcastic?" Asuka asked, that hint of annoyance becoming more obvious.

"I am merely stating facts to reassure you that I am focused on my recovery," Ayanami stated.

Asuka sighed. It was like this every single time they talked. It was always best to get to the point with Ayanami anyways. "What is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"I am told that it customary to wish a pilot 'Good hunting'."

Asuka raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"Good hunting, Lt. Shikinami."

Asuka smiled a little bit. "Thank you. Anything else?"

"Doctor Frasier wishes you return. Preferably in one piece. I am unsure of how a person can kill someone if they are already deceased, however."

Asuka chuckled a little. "It's a figure of speech, Wondergirl. Tomorrow, we'll be having a victory party. Trust me."

"What you have just said is a self fulfilling prophecy," Ayanami noted.

"They're the best kind," Asuka replied. "Listen, I'm pretty sure that they've got the plug ready for me to get into. I'll see you around."

Asuka turned off the phone before any complaints could be raised by the girl on the other end. She held out her phone to the airman, who took it. "Thank you, airman. Is the plug ready?"

"Yes ma'am," the airman replied.

"Lead the way then. Hopefully we can get this done in time for breakfast."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's notes: I will back and changed all designations from 'Visitor' to 'Messenger' in Chapter 2. (I currently have finals, so I'm lucky enough to get this chapter uploaded as it is.) This based off of the origin of the word 'angel' in English and is more consistent with the Japanese word used to describe them. It would also be a way to describe them in the US without causing the nation's predominantly Christian population (myself included) to freak out, become angry at the government, or form more doomsday cults than there are already. It's also open to vague symbolic interpretation, and that's we're about in the English speaking NGE fandom!

Near the California/Nevada border

The C-130 flew overhead, at high altitudes. It was quickly apparent that the Messenger was merely ignoring it, as it was flying too far overhead to be a threat compared to the other aircraft and even ground vehicles which had engaged it. For that, the crew of the cargo plane was thankful.

The door of the cargo plan opened, a dreadful blast of cold air washing over the crew in the back. They ignored the wind created by the turbulence, and worked around it. The crew pushed as hard as they could, giving the mechanisms in the aircraft the initial boost they needed in order help deliver the payload. It eventually fell out of the back of the plane as intended, shedding its box like carriage and revealing its true form.

The GBU-43/B Massive Ordinance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb possessed the largest non-nuclear warhead used in the western world, as well as the largest non nuclear weapon with its blast size not under dispute by civilian and military authorities. As the orange bomb approached terminal velocity, that point in which all acceleration stops due to air resistance, it's GPS guidance was already twisting the bomb's lattice airfoils to and fro, helping it to fall on its eventual target.

It hit. Right in the face of the Messenger it hit. The ten ton explosion caused a mushroom cloud to form, and a blast which would cause anything too close and not heavy enough to simply turn or roll over. Comparisons to nuclear weapons were apt, even if the MOAB was one thousandth the size of the Hiroshima bomb and lacked the radiation. Everything living in the blast range simply evaporated, and many things that were not, were blown to bits.

Everyone at NORAD and NORTHCOM command held their breath, hoping and praying that the bombing run was more than an exercise in futility. All hoped that the Messenger was outright destroyed or disabled by the event. As the blast cleared and recon photos came in, it became apparent that they had damaged the monster, but had not outright destroyed it as cancerous growths surrounded the creature, its mask-like head being pushed aside while a new one grew.

A collective groan was heard. They had not killed the Messenger. Soon enough, though, they got back to work. Morale was lower then it started out as, but still rather high because in a way they had succeeded. They stopped the Messenger. They would be able bring in the Eva.

And if the Eva didn't work, then they were all doomed anyways.

* * *

Military Flight US 237-41E, C-147 "Atlas", US Airspace, En route to battleground

Asuka was taking a nap. This would normally be a difficult proposition when one is tasting blood, breathing a liquid and surrounded by the warm, womb-like entry plug. However, Asuka had trained enough in the Evangelion weapons system that she hardly noticed these things.

"Lt. Shikinami," a female voice said.

"Yeah," Asuka replied, groggily. "Is this good, Gunny?"

"Perhaps. If it didn't mean that you would be at risk." What appeared to be a hologram appeared before her, dressed in a sweater, bluejeans and a lab coat. She was also a dead ringer for Asuka's dead mother. "I am distraught by your willingness to risk your life like this, my dear."

"Well, it's either I go out and beat this thing, putting my life at risk, or this thing goes and finds whatever it's trying to at Area 51, killing us all horribly in what I am assured will be Third Impact. So I figure it would be worth the risk."

The hologram smiled a little bit. "Your mother would be proud of you."

"Yeah," Asuka replied, looking to the side a little bit. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure she would." There was a heavy pause, which was quickly interrupted by signal traffic.

"Is this Hallmark moment over yet?" O'Neil asked over the Eva's com.

Asuka sighed. "It is now. What's the situation?"

"The Messenger took a MOAB to the face."

"Da~mn. Does this mean I get to go home?"

"No. It's still standing, and it's going to be pissed off when it heals up."

Asuka raised an eyebrow. "It's healing?"

"Like the Terminator that wasn't Arnold," O'Neill said. "I wish we could get rid of it easily. I don't like having the fate of the world in the hands of someone who can't drive."

"I am licensed to drive a deuce and a half, can operate a tank, and make the Eva dance like a puppet," Asuka pointed out.

"But do you hold a current _civilian _license?"

"Well… no." Asuka said, looking to the side. She then whipped her head forward. "Hey, wait a minute. I thought we were suppose to be talking about our battle plan!"

"Oh yeah, that. We've deployed the experimental power station, so we shouldn't have a problem as long as something doesn't cut the power cord."

Asuka eyes narrowed. "You used an if, sir. I remember you lecturing me about the use of the word 'if'."

"Which should tell you how much faith I have in you at the moment," O'Neill snarked.

"Hey, I'm competent!"

"Children!" the hologram seemed to shout. "And before you either of you say anything, you're both acting like children. This is suppose to be a briefing, not a playground where you can argue."

"Gunnildr, aren't you suppose to obey the will of your pilot?" O'Neill asked.

"I'm also supposed to make sure that we do not loose battles because every single person of rank in the project has ADD," the unit's AI snapped back.

O'Neill thought about what Gunnildr said for a moment. "Touche. Going back on topic, the Messenger has been observed as having some sort of energy lance as a weapon. We're not sure if it can penetrate an AT field yet, but we do know that it can kill choppers and tanks with ease."

"Crap." Asuka said. "Wait a moment, a MOAB hurt it, right?"

"Yeah," O'Neill replied. "What are you thinking?"

"If a ten ton bomb can hurt it, what could a ten _megaton_ bomb do?" Asuka asked.

"Probably kill the damn thing." O'Neill stated. "Problem is that the President doesn't want to provoke the Canadians or the Texans."

Asuka just sat there, slacked jawed at what O'Neill said. "You joking. You have to be, because that is the terminally stupid thing that I've heard all day. What is he, _stupid_?"

"This channel is being monitored," Gunnildr warned.

"So, are you endorsing the nukes?" O'Neill asked.

"If it means we all don't die in yet another horrible apocalypse, then yes I support it," Asuka practically yelled. "I'm an officer of the US, not some glory hogging kid! Hell, send it up the chain with my name attached to it."

"Best idea I've heard all day. Now back to the battle field…"

* * *

The triangular shape of the Atlas was apparent over the skies of the chosen battlefield. The military personnel in the area looked up from their tasks, noting the green painted giant that seemed to have some sort of rocket wing on it's back.

It would have been a comical sight, if it wasn't also ever so slightly wrong with what was known about human proportions. However, unlike the organic monstrosity that they worked in the shadow of, the Evangelion was a reassuring sight. Its blocky armor was artificial enough not to strain the uncanny valley while it was not moving, and the OD green that served as the generic color of armies around the world was not the same sickening hue as the Messenger. It was enough for the crews on the ground to put their hope and trust to Unit 02, even as most of them began to evacuate the area.

The docking clamps released, allowing the Evangelion to fall. The unit landed on its feet, enter into a crouch for a moment before looking for the nearest umbilical cord into the experimental power generator.

The green giant form of the Messenger began to move, the cancerous growths healed and a new face grown in placed of the shattered one which blasted into the mountain. It lanced out at the Evangelion with its arm, hitting the unit in the shoulder.

"Oh, come on!" Asuka yelled as she finally finds the plug.

"Unit 02's right shoulder has been pierced," the AI calmly said. "The progressive knife has been destroyed."

Asuka reached down to where the power chord was, inserting it into the slot along the back.

Another beam shot it's way to her. This time Asuka was ready, holding up an AT field. The light did not pierce it, though Asuka winced.

"The AT field has weakened," stated Gunnildr.

"I know that!" Asuka practically yelled. She then willed the AT field to reshape itself into a form of her choosing, using it to press against the Messenger's own AT field, nullifying it.

It was at that point that Unit 02 ran forward. It tackled the enormously tall creature, smashing it against a nearby mountain. Using it's fists to smash against the red, jewel like core of the creature. When that proved ineffective, the Eva straddled the Messenger, using its fist to strike against the face of its enemy in an attempt to disorient it further.

The left shoulder pylon popped open, revealing another progressive knife. It seemed to emanate some sort of orange field once it was in the hands of the Evangelion, but in many ways it appeared to be an extremely large craft knife.

Using this tool, the Evangelion stabbed down at the core. Minute cracks were evident, and upon seeing that the Eva began to stab down as quickly as it could. Soon the cracking of the core was widespread. Sensing that its demise was to come about quickly, the Messenger stretched its form, shaping itself in such a way that any blast from the destruction of its core would affect the Evangelion. It exploded, the mountain side eroded from the blast.

When the dust cleared, the Evangelion was all that remained. Those that were on the ground stood in awe of the giant cyborg, before it slowly began to fall to the ground. Soon the winds carried the smell of charred flesh, and those who were in command were in fear that the pilot was damaged.

And sitting in the entry plug, barely conscious, was Asuka.

"Gunny?" she asked, hoping that the artificial intelligence was still active. "Are you still there?"

When no reply came, Asuka simply sighed. "Well, today's over and an Angel's dead. That has to count for something, right?"

The silence was deafening.

Asuka sighed. "Right. Now it's time to wait for the pick up crew."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: Now we get to a little bit of the politics behind the Evangelions of this world. As well as how well and truly fracked up the geopolitical situation truly is.

The President of the United States of America sat in a darkened room. The room was not dark by preference, despite what certain parties may say about him being an evil emperor. No, the room was darkened by necessity, so that the holographic projectors could do their work.

"The deployment of Unit 02," boomed a deep, masculine voice. "The destruction of the Third Messenger," a series of twelve large obelisks materialized in the air, each with name "SEELE" and a number. "All according to plan, it would seem."

"The damage dealt to Unit 02 will be expensive to repair," said another person from behind their obelisk avatar.

"Compared to the loss of Unit 00, it is but a minor setback," replied another one.

"We are in agreement that the performance of the second child has met our expectations," said another voice, the only feminine one in the room. "However, we are concerned with the fact that you had given the name of a pagan god the Messenger of Water."

The President held up his hand. "I will admit that it is unorthodox. We can agree, however, that the population does not need to make the necessary connections between the prophecies of old and modern times. We shall continue to study our portions of the scrolls, and act in accordance."

"I am concerned," said another of the voices. "We only posses a fraction of the scrolls. More specifically, most of the scrolls concerning the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. If we cannot find the scrolls concerning the Tree of Life, then we shall never have the complete picture. Our plans may be… impeded."

"The scrolls of the Tree of Life have been found to be in the possession of the Russians, the Texans and certain warlords in China. A museum in Japan also contains the last portion of the Scroll of the Tree of Life," replied another voice.

"They will be dealt with when the time comes," said another voice. The president was beginning to pick out which ones belonged to which people, although he could not for sure trace which ones related to which obelisks. They also had a tendency to randomly change the numerical designation to keep each other off their toes, with the exception of SEELE 01, who was always the leader. "We are the lords of this solar system, after all. Possession of the Scrolls of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil are the only portions we need right now to fulfill the covenants we have made with the Mother of All Living."

"But to ascend to Godhood we must take possession of the Scrolls of the Tree Life," another of the voices pointed out. "We must tread carefully, in my opinion. If the Texans or the Russians are able to interpret the Scrolls, then they could be in possession of weapons which would delay or even stop our ascension."

"When the unrest has been quelled, I believe I should be able to start a war with Texas that can allow us to steal their portion of the Scroll, or at the very least be able to let my spy network do the work," said the president.

"That would be helpful," SEELE 01 admitted. "But only when the time is right. Now, we have one other matter to discuss. The fate of Unit 00."

"Unit 00 cannot be dismissed," said the female voice. "Each working Evangelion costs as much as a small nation can produce in a year. Even if it is not fit to perform combat with the Messengers directly, it can still provide vital support."

"The resources which have been invested in the Unit's pilot are also tremendous," said another of the voices. "The cloning process has been perfected, as has soul dubbing. The pilot can be sent in to do dangerous work, since she suffers from no risk of permanent end of existence. For her a death would simply be a learning experience."

"She would be the perfect pilot of only the Units were not so hard to replace," said another of the voices. "Allowing her to gain combat experience in a support role would aid us when the Mass Production models are ready."

"Regardless, we shall need more Evangelions. And pilots," said the president. "My nation is simply too big to defend with one unit, especially when its pilot is on constant standby. There is also the fact that a Messenger could appear at any place, anytime, and it would take hours before a unit could arrive."

"We shall approve the use of another unit, and select the next pilot," said one of the voices.

"But to which nation shall the Unit belong to?" asked another voice. "The Vatican Protocols limit the number of Evangelions to one per nation. Japan and the United States have already been brought into the fold. Who else shall entrust our instrument in accession?"

There was a brief pause, as everyone who was taking part in the conference considered their option, or what to say next.

It was the president who broke the silence. "They say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

"Which nation would you suggest?"

"Texas," said the president. "It is technically a federation of two nations and several protectorates, so we can have it support two Evangelions without any legal problems. Having them become a partner in this venture would also allow us to place our people within the organizations they are sure to create in order to support their Evangelions."

"Each Evangelion is also reliant on their nation for the majority of their personnel and engineering support," said the feminine voice. "By forcing Texas to accept a Unit, we will sap away their resources while using them for our own ends. It is an elegant solution to several problems. I motion that Texas receive the Test Type, Unit 01."

"I will second that motion on the condition that the pilot of the Unit be of a different nationality," said one of the recognizable voices, that of SEELE 06. "We cannot have one be too loyal to a nation like Texas, which still pretends to operate under the pretext of democracy and is actively seeking to expand its influence."

"The Texans may still be able to win over the support of their pilot," the president noted. "They have become notorious for winning the loyalty of others."

"But if the Texan pilot is of a different nationality, then he may be subverted more easily," said the feminine voice. "I shall agree to the amendment proposed by Number Six."

"A motion to vote the choosing of a new pilot has been put forward and seconded," said SEELE 01. "We shall now vote on the motion."

A circle of white orbs appeared before the president in the center of the room. Each one of them was for each one of the voting members of the council. The circle began to rotate, randomizing the ballot enough to where no one would be sure who voted for what in the council. Some turned green, others turned red, and once all the white orbs had a color associated with them the circle slowed to a stop.

"8 in favor, 4 opposed." SEELE 01 said, reading the ballot. "The motion passes. Would any of the members of the council care to put forward another item on the agenda?"

The room was silent. After a few minutes SEELE 01 spoke again. "If not then this meeting is concluded."

One by one the monoliths disappeared, until only SEELE 01's remained. "I assume that the business transactions we have conducted are proving profitable."

The president nodded. "They have. The economy may recovered enough to where the masses will be content. At that point I shall be able to assume complete control of the government."

"Excellent performance, then," said SEELE 01. "With the United States receiving proper guidance, we shall have one less unknown variable in our quest."

"Our species is dying," said the president. "I know that as well as everyone else who has been enlightened through the Scrolls. But can we really harness Third Impact so that we may reach the next stage of evolution?"

"We must," said SEELE 01. "A world free of pain and suffering. A world in which the Gods are responsive and approachable. Would you not like to see such a world come to pass?"

The president nodded. "Yes. Yes I would. I would do anything for such a world to exist."

"Then we know what we must do." SEELE 01 said. "Everything shall proceed as dictated by the scenario."

"I understand. By your command."

"By your command," concluded SEELE 01, ending the conversation. The room returned to its normal lighting, revealing it to be the windowless side office of the Philadelphia White House.

Sighing a little, the president pressed a button on his desk.

"Yes, Mr. President?" asked the secretary manning the front desk.

"My meeting is over. General Robison may come in. Also, make sure that my five o'clock is not delayed in coming over."

"Yes, Mr. President," said the secretary. "Central command is wondering what they should do about the protestors, sir."

The president leaned back. "They're subverting the government. Let them suffer the traitor's fate."


End file.
